Can Apple TV Control Your Sound Bar? Bind Them Together Here!

Apple TV can is a great streaming option, providing images and audio of excellent quality.

A soundbar is a similarly transformative add-on, but can Apple TV control your soundbar?

Apple TV can control your soundbar using a Bluetooth or HDMI connection. HDMI typically gives you the best audio quality, but the difference could be negligible depending on the strength of the Bluetooth connection.

Keep reading to see what exactly you need to do to connect your Apple TV to your soundbar. I’ll explain the process and give you a few pointers on controlling your soundbar with the Apple TV remote. Let’s gets started!

How To Connect Your Soundbar to an Apple TV

First, keep in mind that you’ll be dealing with three different devices: your Apple TV hub, soundbar, and your TV. This can be slightly daunting, but the process is quite simple once you walk through it methodically.

Connect Your Apple TV and Soundbar to the TV

This is the best way to connect all three devices because it makes it easy to fix potential problems.

The TV will be connected to both Apple TV and the soundbar and will act as a connector between the two. You need to have HDMI cables for this method.

All you need to do is follow a few simple steps:

1. Connect your Apple TV to a power source. Plug one end of the power cable into the designated port on the Apple TV device and the other end into a power outlet.
2. Connect your soundbar to a power source. Similar to the Apple TV device, the soundbar will also have a power cord that connects to a dedicated port while the plug goes to the power outlet.
3. Connect Apple TV to your TV. Connect one end of an HDMI cable to the port of your Apple TV and the other to the HDMI 2.0 port on your TV.
4. Connect the soundbar to the TV. Using another HDMI cable, plug one end into the HDMI ARC of the soundbar and the other into the HDMI ARC port in the TV.
5. Set up the connection. Go to Apple TV Settings and make sure you enable Match Content.

These steps should automatically enable you to control the soundbar volume using the Apple TV remote. If it doesn’t, I’ll show you how to manually program your remote to control the soundbar later on in this article.

Connect Your Apple TV to the Soundbar Directly via HDMI

Alternatively, you can connect both Apple TV and the soundbar directly using an HDMI cable.

This method is also suitable because it provides a wired connection, which offers higher-quality sound.

To connect Apple TV with your soundbar:

1. Connect Apple TV and the soundbar to power sources. Use power cables to plug both devices into power outlets.
2. Connect the devices using an HDMI cable. Plug the HDMI cable into a compatible HDMI port on the Apple TV device while plugging the other end into the soundbar.
3. Connect your soundbar to the TV using an HDMI cable.
4. Set up the connection. Go to the Settings menu and enable Match Content.

Connecting Apple TV and Soundbar via Bluetooth

The final method is to use Bluetooth.

While this method can be relatively easy since there aren’t many cables and ports involved, it’s not the best since Bluetooth may reduce audio quality from the soundbar. 

Depending on the distance of the soundbar to the TV and the number of obstructions between them, sound quality can be severely reduced.

If you decide to use this method, it’s best to position your soundbar as close to the TV as you can for the best audio quality.

If you’re having trouble fitting your soundbar under the TV, I have a great article that might solve the problem.

Nevertheless, it’s an easy method and only takes a few steps.

1. Enable Bluetooth pairing on your soundbar. Different soundbars have different ways of achieving this, but typically, you need to press the Source button on your soundbar until BT Pairing appears on the display. If you can’t find yours, try to Google your soundbar’s model followed by “Bluetooth.” E.g Panasonic soundbar bluetooth. This will usually bring up different results on pairing your soundbar model.
2. Go to Apple TV and select the Settings app.
3. Find Remotes and Devices and then select Bluetooth.
4. The device will start searching for Bluetooth connections available, so wait until the name of the soundbar comes up and select it.

For Apple TV 4K

If you have an Apple TV 4K, you can take an extra step for the best and most immersive experience. After connecting your devices, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings on your Apple TV.
2. Select Audio and Video, and then go to Format.
3. Check if 4K HDR is enabled; if not, make sure to enable it.

How To Control the Soundbar Using the Apple TV Remote

Once the connection is made, you should be able to control your soundbar using Apple TV. If it doesn’t work automatically, you can manually connect both devices.

Before trying this method, ensure that your soundbar has an IR receptor so the remote can control it. 

Here’s how to manually link your soundbar and Apple TV remote:

1. Open the Settings menu with the Apple TV remote
2. Navigate to Remotes and Devices. 
3. Select Volume Control and then “Learn New Device.” Ensure your soundbar is in pairing mode for this step.
4. Choose your soundbar model from the list and wait a few seconds to allow the devices to connect.

Can Apple TV Control Your Sound Bar? To Conclude

If you have an Apple TV device and a soundbar, you can connect them to watch TV with high-quality audio. You can bind them in a few different ways, but for the best audio quality, use HDMI cables. 

Using Bluetooth is usually easier and bypasses the cable management problem, but the audio quality might drop depending on the distance between all three devices.

If you can’t control the soundbar even after making the connection, you can manually link your remote to the soundbar from the Apple TV settings menu.